The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-03
Gov. Lees Brooklyn Letter.

Gov. Lees Brooklyn Letter.
Gov. Lee addressed letter to the Young
Mems Democratic Club. of Brooklyn, N.
Y. on the 10Th, declining an invitation to
attend the annual dinner of that organiza-
lion. In it he made the following state
ment:
"The past has taught us that when possible
the presidency of people will be stolen by our
political opponents.
The present discloses the fact that"the high
and dignifled office of United states senator is
no less insecure in plant hands when party su-
premacy is involved. Let it be our duty in the
great future 20 show that when the Republican
party sustains Mr.. John SherInan's utterance-
that anything1s right In law or morals to break
down the Democratic, iparty-tfey must be
taught constitutions are not tents erected for
Sleep but that representative government is
justice organized. reason animated, and moral
ity armed"
No one should know better than Gov.
Lee that President Hayes held his office by
double decisior-first by the choice of
legally chosen electors, and second by an
extraordinary commission created by
democratic suggestion and votes. He
should know that the attempts to bride
and purchase electoral votes in Louisiana,
Florida, South Carolina and Oregon for
the Democratic candidate was long ago
exposed to the disgust Of the American
people, and that the party never dared to
make the issue of fraud in that election in
the two succeeding Presidential contests.
There is no honesty or sincerity in the
repetition of that stale and exploded
charge.
AS to the choice of Senators, it is prob
able the Governor had in his mind the at
tempt of the Democrats of Illinois tosteal
the seat of John Logan by the most un-
blushing frauds in Ohio, to defrau6 John
Sherman out of the place he now holds in
Indiana, to succeed in the form of an cleo
ton of Senator, by the most unblushing
forgery, fraud and usurpation that ever
disgraced political organization in New
Jersey, by tampering with the ballot box
and chan ging the ballots, so as to give the
CCAtAhSouO VI OICND1Oa w ACUuUCldGlC ul6Ul-
bers of the Legislature, which legally
and morally should have been given to
Republicans and in West Virginia. we
have the open statement on the floor of the
House of Delegates by Hon. D. B. Lucas,
the ablest democrat in that body, that the
democratic nominee for u S. Senator used
m 1ney to purchase votes to secure his re-
election. Said Mr.. Lucas, II charge that
Republicans on this floor have been Of
fered money by johnson N. Camden, and
dare you to dispute it. You may appoint
your investigating committee whenever
you pleaee and am ready with the proof
to place before that committee in vertical
tion of my CHARGE The Republicans did
not go to his support, and the Legislature
adjourned without an election. But the
guilt is the same and Mr.. Lucas's invita-
tion to.the friends of Mr. Camden to inyes-
| tigate was never accepted.
But we need not 60 so far to find an illus
tration of Democratic methods. Gov.
Lee owes his own election to the usurpa-
tion and outrage of the Virginia Legisla-
ture Of 1884, when legally elected Re-
publlcans were deprived of their seats and
Democrats whom the people had rejected
at the polls, given them. This process was
pursued until atwo-thirds majority exact
ly was secured, so as to defy the veto of
Republican Governor. And thus was
enacted the infamous Mccormick Ander-
son electoral law, which placed all the
election machinery in partizan hands to be
manipulated as the exigencies of the
Democratic party might demand. In this
way the State was given to the Democrat
lc party,-Gov. Lee elected at the succeed
ing election, to the place he now holds.
and JohnW. Daniel chosen Senator.
1t would seem to fair-minded public
that the less said about election frauds by
prominent democrats would be the better
when the history of the campaign of 1888 is
remembered, and the use made of thu
power gained by vi olence, bloodshed and
fraud. is considered.
The letter we have quoted does not
comport with the dignity and position of
the Governor of great State. 1t evi
denceS narrow view of public interests
and a reckless partizanism more in har-
mony with the mouthings of crossroads
orators and shallow minded demagogues
than the representative of the people in
the Chief Executive office of the Common.
wealth.
1t is possible an explanation of the let
ter and the terms in which it was couched,
may be found in the following dispatch to
the Chicago Times, democratic, from st.
Paul. Minnesota. relating to Gov. Lee S
recent junketing voyage to that city:
Sat the time Gov. Fltzhugh Lee, of Virginia,
made his visit to this city no particular signif-
canoe was supposed to attach to the trip, but it
has since been learned that to the leading dem
ocratic politicians it meant much more than an
apparently innocent pleasure journey. In fact,
the statement is now made that Gov Lee
wants the democratic nomination for vice.
president in 1888, and that while dining with
Messrs. Kelley and Doran in St. Paul he made
| overtures for Minnesota's delegates in the next
| national convention and will get them if s.he
and mine" can deliver the goods"
1t such be the ambition of the Governor
he has taken questionable step to at
tract the favorable attention of the
conservative men of the country for there
| is not one of them who does not know that
the language and the sentiment of the
Brooklyn letter are the veriest stuff, of
fenslve to the decency of the nation as
well as discreditable to their author. The
American people are not looking for the
patron of such language and insinuations
to elect him to the second highest office in
their gift, nor to commit the country to
campaign Of cheap demagogueism that can
find endorsement no where outside of the
Sums and purlieus of democratic cities.
Amherst Poor House.
The Lynchburg Advance gives horrible
picture of the management of the Am
herst poor. house. Statements having come
to the court rejecting on the management
of the Institution tha GRAND i,,rv MORO Il,